Monorail system



2 8, 1936. J. GUTHRIE ,0

MONORAIL SYSTEM Filed March 10, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 7077266 Ga 7%??? A TTORNEYS.

ril 28, 1936. v JQGUTHRIE 2,038,732

.MONORAIL SYSTEM Filed March 10, 1932 2 Sheets$heet 4 2 @ig @Qim IINVENTOR.

77265 Gizai'%rz'e A TTORNE Y so to the tractor.

Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STAT ES PATENT, OFFICE 'MONQRAIL ,S YSTEMI James Guthrie, Elyria, Ohio Application March 10, 1932, Serial :No. 2,598,008

3 Claims. (Cl. 105-30) The present invention relating, as indicated, to a monorail system, has more precise reference to the provision of a driving tractor adapted to be used in conjunction with overhead conveyor rails for factory installations, and the like. The general object and nature of my invention is to provide an electrically driven atractorgunit which is adapted to engage with the flange of a monorail and having a pair of endless tracks which 10 are intended to laterally engage With the web of such rail. The frictional engagement of such tracks with the surface of the monorail has been found to be so powerful and positive that a device constructed according to the principle is of my invention may equally well be used upon a vertically disposed rail; that is, the tractor may be used as an elevator. his a further object to provide a power driving connecting :means which shall impart an automatic braking action Briefly stated, this last mentioned automatic braking means consists of a worm and gear drive in which the worm gear is of relatively low pitch so that it will be possible to transmit torque through such drive connection 25 in one direction only.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tractor constructed according to the principle of my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in section, of the endless drive and gear connection; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, partially in section, view taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view, being partly in section and taken substantially upon the line 5-5 of 45 Fig. 1.

Although for the purposes of description, I have specified the device constructed according to the principle of my invention as applied to an overhead horizontal rail, it is to be understood 50 that such device, with slight mechanical changes may be equally well adapted to operate upon a vertical or angularly inclined trackway or rail.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown a frame member indicating gener- 55 ally by the numeral I, which consists of the electricmotor base pla'te'Z :and the worm gear :housing'3. A pair .of longitudinally extending tie rods 4 and 5 compose the remainder ofthe frame unit and serve to rigidly secure the elements .2 and '13 in spaced relationship. :On each end of the 1 5 frame -I and connected thereto by means-of suit- ;able bolts on the ends :of the tie rods .4 and :5

:are foundztheangle brackets Band 'I'he brackets16 and l -in turn carrythe U shaped supporting arms :8 and .9, respectively. Each branch of the i U-shaped supporting arms 8 .and 9 isadapted to carry :a:flanged wheel l0 which rides upon the flange ll of the I-beam ormonorail :l2.

Extending'upwardly from the frameimember l are the double pair of shafts l3 and M. The T shafts l3 are power driven, whereas the shafts M are merely idlers. The .upper end of the shafts 3 and :14 each carry :the .sprockets |5 which, in turn, support the endless chains l6 and H. The chains 5|:6and .carry .a .plurality -2 of rubber pads or feet |8 which are adapted to make frictional contact with the sides of the web of the I-beam l2.

The lower ends of the driven shafts l3 carry a pair of gears l9 and which are in engagement with the centrally disposed worm gear'2l. The worm gear 2| is mounted upon the horizontal shaft 22. The shaft 22 is suitably journaled in the bearings 23 and 24 in the gear housing 3. A plurality of thrust washers 25 are provided in order to accommodate the horizontal end thrust of the worm gear 2|. The shaft 22 is connected by means of a suitable coupling 26 to the electric drive motor 21.

It will thus be seen that rotation of the worm gear 2| will inturn serve to drive the shaft l3, causing the endless chains l6 and I! to travel in opposite directions of rotation, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5, whereby the above described carriage will propel itself along the I-beam l2.

In order to provide resilient engagement of the intermediate run of the endless chains l6 and IT, a plurality of vertical shafts 28 are mounted by means of the spring elements 29 connected to the stationary shafts 30 carried by the frame I of the machine. The resiliency of the spring elements 29 is directed toward the I-beam I2 in order to urge the intermediate run of the endless chains 6 and I1 into frictional engagement 0 therewith. And, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 5, the resiliency ofsuch springs is sufficient to carry the free or intermediate run of the chains I6 to a point beyond the periphery of the sprock- 811$ l5. Such a provision has been contemplated 55 2, in order to enable the tractor to satisfactorily negotiate curved sections of the monorail.

A suitable electric power conducting trolley, which it has not been deemed expedient to illustrat in the drawings, may be provided in order 7 to supply power to the drive motor 21; 'It will thus be seen that I have provided a driving tractor for an overhead monorail system which is adapted to make a positive and efiicient engagement with'the supporting track and obviates the necessity of additional engaging means such as a gear rack, or the like.

It should further be noted that, since the worm gear 2| is of a relatively low pitch, that it will be possible to transmit torque through the worm and gear connection in one direction-only, viz from the driving motor 211: the endless tracks 16 and H. The effect of such a torque transmission connection is to positively lock the end-:-

less tracks and incidently the tractor, against movement when the motor'21'is at rest or inoperative; Thislatter feature is 1 particularly advantageous" when it is'contemplated to use the, above'described tractor in an angularly in- 'clined or vertical monorail conveying system.

" 1 Other modes of applying the principle ofmy invention "may be employed "instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the :means "stated by anypfthe' following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

" I therefore particularly point out and disless tracks mounted upon said frame, said tracks.

being driven by said motor and adapted to engage with the web of said monorail, and resilient means carried by said frame and adapted to urge the intermediate run of said tracks beyond the normal line of travel into contact with the web of said monorail.

2. In a self-propelling vehicle for monorail systems and the like, the combination of an I- monorail, a; frame, a drivingmotor mounted thereon, wheels carried by said frame and contacting with the upper surface of the lower flange of the monorail for supporting said frame and motor in a downwardly depending position, apair of endless tracks mounted upon said frame,

said tracks beingdriven by said motor and adapted to move said'intermediate run' beyond the normal line of travel of said tracks.

3. In a self-propelling vehicle for monorail systems and the like, the combination of an I-monorail,-a frame, a driving motor mounted thereon, wheels carried'by said frame and contacting with the upper surface of the lower flange of the monorail for supporting said frame and motor in a downwardlydepending position, a pair of endless tra'cks Jmounted' longitudinally upon said frame, sprocket wheels carrying said tracks and operatively connected to said motor, and resilient means adapted to'urge the intermediate run of said tracks into contact with the web of said rail and to a point substantially beyond the plane of the periphery of said sprocket wheels.

' v JAMES GUTI-IRIE. 

